1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a firearm grip and in particular to a pistol target grip comprising insertable and removable trigger finger support inserts on a side panel of the body of the firearm grip.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of grips have been devised for attachment to firearms or pistols to enable a user to better hold and aim the firearm, or to reduce recoil or otherwise improve the comfort when the firearm is held and fired with consistent accuracy. The use of elastomers in the grip assembly provides for a better xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d in the user""s hand and may provide a certain amount of bulk or sizing to otherwise standard factory produced grips. The following listed U.S. patents are examples of firearm grips.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,997 issued Apr. 22, 1997 to R. Lane Pearce and assigned to Pearce Grip, Inc. discloses a handgun grip enhancer for use with side panel grip type handguns. The grip enhancer includes a forward grip cushioning element or cross strap and right and left hand wing members forming side plates which fit under the regular handgun side panel grip elements. However, the handgun grip does not provide for adjusting the position of the trigger finger at a right angle to the trigger.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,446 issued Sep. 5, 2000 to Theobald Fxc3x6rster et al. and assigned to SIG Arms International AG, discloses a weapon grip comprising a grip body and grip shell having an approximately U-shaped cross section and being releasably and replaceably inserted on the grip body. However, the weapon grip does not provide for placement of a trigger finger with consistency on the weapon trigger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,237 issued Jul. 27, 1993 to Carl J. Cupp and assigned to Pachmayr Ltd., of Monrovia, Calif., describes a cushioning grip assembly for a hand gun. The grip assembly includes a main body or chassis and two grip elements having outer surfaces formed of neoprene rubber or other deformable elastomeric material for providing cushioned contact with a user""s hand in holding and firing the gun. One grip element is a forward grip unit and the second grip element is a back strap attachable to the body. However, this grip does not provide adjustment for positioning a trigger finger of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,036 issued Jun. 26, 1990 to Bary A. Sniezak et al. and assigned to Smith and Wesson Corp. of Springfield, Mass. discloses an integral grip for the handle of a handgun frame molded from a resilient, flexible, synthetic plastic material. The grip is of generally U-shaped configuration including a curved rear wall and two spaced opposed sidewall portions. However, this integral grip does not provide any adjustment for positioning a trigger finger of a user.
None of the above patents disclose the structural features of the present invention, which is intended to be an after-market attachment replacing one of the standard factory side panels of a firearm to improve proper placement of the trigger finger on the trigger.
Accordingly, it is therefore an object of this invention to provide various size contoured grips attached to the frame of a firearm, enabling the user to improve target accuracy and consistency.
It is another object of this invention to provide a, left or right side panel on the frame of a pistol having an insert with a contoured outward extension to allow the trigger finger to be placed on the trigger allowing only the distal portion of a user""s trigger finger to contact the trigger.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a contoured outward extension on a side panel insert of a firearm to enable the trigger finger to rest on the trigger from a direction approximately perpendicular to the trigger.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a plurality of removable side panel inserts on a pistol, each of the inserts having a different size contoured outward extension for custom fitting the user""s finger length and particularly positioning the distal portion of the trigger finger of the user to be approximately perpendicular to the trigger.
These and other objects are accomplished by a target grip for a firearm comprising a side panel attached to a frame of the firearm, the side panel comprises a varying contoured outward extension for a user""s trigger finger to rest on in order to position a distal portion of the trigger finger directly in front of a trigger and approximately perpendicular to the trigger. The side panel comprises a removable insert for providing different size varying contoured outward extensions to match a particular user""s trigger finger length thereby causing the positioning of the middle portion of the distal portion of the trigger finger directly in front of the trigger and approximately perpendicular to the trigger.
The objects are further accomplished by a target grip for a firearm comprising a side panel attached to a frame of the firearm, and a removable insert secured within the side panel, the insert having a contoured outward extension for a user""s trigger finger to rest on the insert and to position a distal portion of the user""s trigger finger adjacent to a trigger of the firearm and approximately perpendicular to the trigger. The removable insert, secured within the side panel, comprises edges which fit into channels of the side panel for a secure fit. The removable insert, secured within the side panel, comprises a tab located on an inner end of the insert for clipping inside the side panel. The removable insert comprises a predetermined contour of the outward extension to accommodate a specific size of the user""s trigger finger. Further, a plurality of removable inserts are provided for the side panel, each of the removable inserts having a different outward extension to accommodate different lengths of various user""s trigger fingers.
The objects are further accomplished by a method of providing a target grip for a firearm comprising the steps of attaching a side panel to a frame of the firearm, and securing a removable insert within the side panel, the insert having a contoured outward extension for a user""s trigger finger to rest on the insert and to position a distal portion of the user""s trigger finger adjacent to a trigger of the firearm and approximately perpendicular to the trigger. The method comprises the step of providing a predetermined contour of the outward extension of the removable insert to accommodate a specific length of the user""s trigger finger. The method comprises the step of providing a plurality of removable inserts for the side panel, each of the removable inserts having a different size outward extension to accommodate different lengths of the user""s trigger finger.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.